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      In conversations with CEOs and business owners, cybersecurity now comes up as often as inflation, talent or growth. Not because everyone wants to become a tech expert, but because one incident can stop operations, disrupt customers and consume leadership time overnight. And the threat is changing: fraud attempts are getting more convincing (including AI-assisted impersonation), and many attackers look for the easiest route in - often via a supplier or an employee.

      So, should cybersecurity be seen as an unavoidable cost of doing business—or can it be a genuine advantage, helping you pursue growth (new markets, new partners, new technology) with fewer unpleasant surprises?

      Simon Albrighton
      Simon Albrighton

      Partner, Head of Sectors Consulting

      KPMG in the UK

      Strong security helps you go faster

      Think of cybersecurity as the brakes on a car. Yes, the brakes are there to help you slow down and stop when needed. But good brakes in excellent condition actually enable you to drive faster for longer because you have the confidence that you can slow down when you have to; you can go closer to the kerb and shave time off your journey. Conversely, if your brakes are soft and in poor condition, you have to drive more slowly because it is too risky to go faster.

      The same applies to cybersecurity. Businesses with solid foundations are more confident about entering new markets, partnering in new ways or adopting new technology—including AI—because they have a sensible level of control and visibility. In plain English: security is built into how change happens (not tacked on at the end), and access to systems and data is managed so that one compromised login is far less likely to become a company-wide problem. You are ‘secure by design’.

      This is especially visible around transactions. If you’re looking to raise investment, sell a stake or buy another business, cyber due diligence is now routine. Buyers (and increasingly insurers) will ask for evidence that cyber risk is understood and managed - not just a list of tools. In some cases, the strength of a company’s cyber foundations can influence the deal decision, the valuation, and the cost and terms of cyber insurance. Put simply: good cyber hygiene can improve value and reduce friction when you need speed and certainty.

      In short, cybersecurity should be looked at not as a technical compliance exercise but as a value driver that can help the business grow and reach its strategic aims.

      Six key steps

      But what are the elements that enable you to enhance your security? I believe there are six main strands - practical steps that move security from a “technology topic” to a business capability.

      Assume you’ll be tested

      and plan to stay in control. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s resilience. As a CEO, ask: if something goes wrong, how quickly would we know, how quickly could we contain it, and how quickly could we get back to serving customers?

      Get the basics right

      consistently. Many incidents still start with simple, avoidable weaknesses (unpatched systems, weak configurations, poor visibility, unreliable backups). You don’t need to be technical to lead this: insist on clear ownership, disciplined routines and reporting that shows the basics are being done well.

      Treat logins and payments as high-risk processes

      Many attacks now succeed because someone is tricked (or credentials are stolen) rather than because a firewall is “hacked”. Make it hard to misuse access (for example, multi-factor authentication and tighter controls for admin accounts). And raise the bar on verification for money movements—especially where an email, WhatsApp message or even a voice note appears to come from you or your finance lead.

      Know which suppliers could hurt you, and manage them accordingly

      Most mid-sized businesses rely on outsourced IT, cloud services, payroll, finance platforms and specialist providers. Prioritise the handful that have real access to your data or systems and make expectations explicit (contracts, access controls, incident notification). As a rule of thumb: if a supplier can log in to your environment, they should be treated as part of your risk perimeter.

      Run cyber like any other business risk

      Cybersecurity shouldn’t live only in the IT team—it needs executive attention and sensible governance. The practical CEO move is to agree what “good” looks like for your business, prioritise investment, and track a small set of indicators (for example: multi-factor coverage, time to patch critical issues, backup recovery test results, and how quickly incidents are detected and contained in exercises).

      Practise as a leadership team, not just a technology team

      In a real incident, early decisions matter: do you shut systems down, how do you communicate, when do you involve customers, regulators, insurers? Run at least one senior-level tabletop exercise each year, and make sure roles, decision rights and external contacts (legal, forensics, PR, insurance) are lined up in advance.

      Assume you’ll be tested

      and plan to stay in control. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s resilience. As a CEO, ask: if something goes wrong, how quickly would we know, how quickly could we contain it, and how quickly could we get back to serving customers?

      Get the basics right

      consistently. Many incidents still start with simple, avoidable weaknesses (unpatched systems, weak configurations, poor visibility, unreliable backups). You don’t need to be technical to lead this: insist on clear ownership, disciplined routines and reporting that shows the basics are being done well.

      Treat logins and payments as high-risk processes

      Many attacks now succeed because someone is tricked (or credentials are stolen) rather than because a firewall is “hacked”. Make it hard to misuse access (for example, multi-factor authentication and tighter controls for admin accounts). And raise the bar on verification for money movements—especially where an email, WhatsApp message or even a voice note appears to come from you or your finance lead.

      Know which suppliers could hurt you, and manage them accordingly

      Most mid-sized businesses rely on outsourced IT, cloud services, payroll, finance platforms and specialist providers. Prioritise the handful that have real access to your data or systems and make expectations explicit (contracts, access controls, incident notification). As a rule of thumb: if a supplier can log in to your environment, they should be treated as part of your risk perimeter.

      Run cyber like any other business risk

      Cybersecurity shouldn’t live only in the IT team—it needs executive attention and sensible governance. The practical CEO move is to agree what “good” looks like for your business, prioritise investment, and track a small set of indicators (for example: multi-factor coverage, time to patch critical issues, backup recovery test results, and how quickly incidents are detected and contained in exercises).

      Practise as a leadership team, not just a technology team

      In a real incident, early decisions matter: do you shut systems down, how do you communicate, when do you involve customers, regulators, insurers? Run at least one senior-level tabletop exercise each year, and make sure roles, decision rights and external contacts (legal, forensics, PR, insurance) are lined up in advance.

      Assess and prepare

      Although cyber incidents at the biggest brands grab the headlines, this is a very practical issue for mid-market businesses too. No organisation can afford to be complacent. The encouraging news is that sensible, repeatable steps make a disproportionate difference. Build a simple annual cadence: refresh your view of cyber risk, review your most critical suppliers, and run an incident exercise that involves the business—not just IT. Over time, aim to reduce avoidable weaknesses and improve how quickly you can detect, contain and recover. Don’t just assess the risks, but turn them into numbers so that the CFO and leadership team can help drive the right investments.

      You don’t have to solve this on your own. At KPMG we can help you get a clear, CEO-level view of your cyber risk, prioritise the most valuable improvements, and stress-test your readiness through practical exercises. And if something does happen, we can help you respond quickly and confidently.

      Hopefully, your business will never face a major attack. But if it does, strong cyber foundations will be the difference between a brief slowdown and a full stop. And done well, cybersecurity doesn’t just reduce risk, it creates value: it builds trust with customers and partners, accelerates digital change, and strengthens your position in fundraising and M&A.

      A burden or an opportunity? The answer is clear: when it’s done properly, cybersecurity more than pays for itself in speed, trust and enterprise value.

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